Author Archives: Marco

About Marco

Marco works for ViaData as a Senior Technical Consultant. He has over 15 years experience as a system engineer and consultant, specialized in virtualization. VMware VCP4, VCP5-DC & VCP5-DT. VMware vExpert 2013, 2014,2015 & 2016. Microsoft MCSE & MCITP Enterprise Administrator. Veeam VMSP, VMTSP & VMCE.

Configure a User Account to Log On Automatically on Windows 7

Leave a reply

Requiring the user to enter credentials when his computer starts is an important part of Windows security. If a user account automatically logs on, anyone who has physical access to the computer can restart it and access the user’s files. Nonetheless, there are scenarios where a computer is physically secure and automatic logon might be desired. To configure a workgroup computer (you cannot perform these steps on a domain member) to automatically log on, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, type netplwiz, and then press Enter.
2. In the User Accounts dialog box, click the account you want to automatically log on to.If it is available, clear the Users Must Enter A User Name And Password To Use This Computer check box.
3. Click OK.
4. In the Automatically Log On dialog box, enter the user’s password twice and click OK.

The next time you restart the computer, it will automatically log on with the local user account you selected. Configuring automatic logon stores the user’s password in the registry unencrypted, where someone might be able to retrieve it.

Juniper SSG Firewall and XBox Live

1 Reply

How to configure a correct XBox Live Connection though a Juniper SSG Firewall. This is what I have done, and it works like a charme.

1. I made Three Services.

Xbox Live 1.
UDP scr port: 0 – 65535 dst port 3074-3074
TCP scr port: 0 – 65535 dst port 3074-3074
TCP scr port: 0 – 65535 dst port 88-88
Timeout Never
Xbox Live 2.
UDP scr port: 0 – 65535 dst port 3074-3074
TCP scr port: 0 – 65535 dst port 3074-3074
Timeout 30
Xbox Live 3.
TCP scr port: 0 – 65535 dst port 88-88
timeout 30

Continue reading →

Prepare and Service Windows Images Using the New DISM Tool

Leave a reply

Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM.exe) is a new command line tool that you can use to service a Windows image or prepare a Windows PE image. The DISM tool replaces the Package Manager (pkgmgr.exe), PEimg, and Intlcfg tools used with Windows Vista. DISM consolidates the functionality found in those three tools, as well as delivers new functionality to improve the experience of offline servicing.

DISM can be used to service Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Windows Server 2008. When used with Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, you get the added functionality.
You can use DISM to:
  • Add, remove, and enumerate packages and drivers.
  • Enable or disable Windows features.
  • Apply changes based on the offline servicing section of an unattend.xml answer file.
  • Configure international settings.
  • Upgrade a Windows image to a different edition.
  • Prepare a Windows PE image.
  • Take advantage of better logging.
  • Service down-level operating systems like Windows Vista with SP1 and Windows Server 2008.
  • Service all platforms (32-bit, 64-bit, and Itanium).
  • Service a 32-bit image from a 64-bit host and service a 64-bit image from a 32-bit host.
  • Make use of old Package Manager scripts.

Command-Line Options

To service a Windows image offline, it must be applied or mounted. WIM images can be mounted using the Windows Image (WIM) commands within DISM, or applied and recaptured using ImageX.
You can also use commands to list the indexes or verify the architecture for the image you are mounting. After you update the image, you must unmount it and either commit or discard the changes you have made.
The base syntax for nearly all DISM commands is the same. After you have mounted your Windows image, you can specify any DISM options, the servicing command that will update your image, and the location of the mounted image. You can use only one servicing command per command line. If you are servicing a running computer, you can use the /online option instead of specifying the location of the mounted Windows Image.
The base syntax for DISM is:
DISM.exe {/image:<path_to_image> | /online} [dism_options] {servicing_command} [<servicing_argument>]
Movie : Technet

HP Sizer for Microsoft Hyper-V 2008 R2

Leave a reply

HP released an Sizer tool for Microsoft Hyper-V 2008 R2. Source : http://h71019.www7.hp.com/ActiveAnswers/us/en/sizers/microsoft-hyper-v2008.html

The HP Sizer for Microsoft Hyper-V 2008 R2 is an automated, downloadable tool that provides quick and helpful sizing guidance for “best-fit” HP server and storage configurations running in a Hyper-V R2 environment. The tool is intended to assist with the planning of a Hyper-V R2 virtual server deployment project. It enables the user to quickly compare different solution configurations and produces a customizable server and storage solution complete with a detail Bill of Materials (BOM) that includes part numbers and prices.

The HP Sizer for Microsoft Hyper-V 2008 R2 allows users to create new solutions, open already existing solutions, or use other types of performance data collecting tools, such as the Microsoft Assessment and Planning tool (MAP), to build rich Hyper-V R2 configurations based on HP server and storage technology. The tool allows rapid comparison of Hyper-V R2 characterizations using various HP server and storage choices.

Hyper-V How To: Plan Performance

Leave a reply

Good read from Microsoft. Source : http://blogs.technet.com/tonyso/archive/2009/11/30/hyper-v-how-to-plan-performance.aspx

Customers often ask “Given a hardware load-out X, how many Ys can I get/run/host?”

The frustrating answer always starts with “…it depends…”. We caveat this way not because we want to frustrate, but because it is true. Many teams will go on to say “We have tested the following in our labs and gotten the displayed results…”

1 X = thingy

2 X = more thingies

3X = many more thingies

While accurate, not super-helpful.

The truth is that to do good perf planning for Hyper-V you have to run some tests.

Run them using your actual production load (converted to Virtual Machines) in a test environment.

TIP: you can download the free VHD version of SCVMM, then run it as a VM to convert your production machines to “test” virtual machines.

Then play with your assumptions and tweak things higher and lower and to your design tolerance and actually observe how perf goes.

Add an overhead/forgot-to-test percentage, done.

Continue reading →

Upgrading ESX 4.0 to 4.0 Update 1 on HP Proliant systems can fail

Leave a reply

Upgrading ESX 4.0 to 4.0 Update 1 on HP Proliant systems can fail or time out and leave the host in an unusable state if the host has HP Insight Management Agents running

Symptoms

On HP Proliant systems, when attempting to upgrade ESX 4.0 to ESX 4.0 Update 1 (U1), you may experience these symptoms:
  • Upgrade operation may fail or hang and can result in an incomplete installation
  • Upon reboot, the host that was being upgraded may be left in an inconsistent state and may display a purple diagnostic screen with the following error:

COS Panic: Int3 @ mp_register_ioapic

Continue reading →

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 – HOT ISSUES LIST

Leave a reply

A series Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 issues have been reported to Microsoft customer support. From these issues, we figured out several hot issues and authored Knowledge base articles to explain the solutions.

To identify and troubleshoot these issues, you can find more information from the KB articles:

  • 975787 Adjust User Account Control settings in Windows 7
  • 976832 Error message when you insert a smart card in a reader on a Windows 7-based or Windows Server 2008 R2-based computer: “Device driver software was not successfully installed”
  • 975784 Enable the Quick Launch bar in Windows 7
  • 975785 Customize the notification area in Windows 7
  • 975786 Customize the notification area in Windows 7
  • 975788 Turn off the secure desktop in Windows 7
  • 976034 Get a detailed Power Efficiency Diagnostics Report for your computer in Windows 7
  • 976170 Troubleshoot Aero problems in Windows 7
  • 976877 Troubleshoot Aero problems in Windows 7
  • 976736 How to install Windows PowerShell on a computer that is running Windows Server 2008 R2 Core
  • 2006291 Error message When You Bring up the Server Manager Console and click on Add / View Roles: “0x800B0100”
  • 977510 Authentication fails when an external client tries to log on by using a read-only domain controller in a perimeter network

Source: http://blogs.technet.com/ferris/default.aspx